Saturday, July 21, 2007
Therapists and Painters
Well, we have finally decided we need the help of a qualified therapist to help us with our problem. I really hoped we could work through it ourselves and let time deal with it. I always thought, maybe as maturity comes, we would see some improvement, but no, we have decided that professional help is needed. It was hard to make this decision. My sister who is a therapist, herself, said that we really needed the help and in a few months things would hopefully be moving right along with the progress we should be making.
We had the evaluation on Friday morning and it went well. At least as I expected.
Our little Jack Henry needs help with his speech. I had you going there for a minute, didn't I?
He grunts and groans a lot, but rarely says real words...except momma, dough-dough(daddy), Vivie(for Evie), A-A for Abigail and Wa-Wa for Gracie he says *No* pretty well and juice. He babbles a lot...like he is saying syllables and all...and long sentences, but we can not understand the poor little guy. He does a lot of motions and some sign language... He did surprise us the other day with *Daddy mow* when Mike was going to mow the grass. We all cheered. I think it scared him...he hasn't said much since. My sister who is a speech pathologists/therapists said that she thinks he is about one year behind developmentally in his speech. Yikes!
We knew he was struggling and a little behind, but we really thought it would get better on its own as time went by and if we needed it later, then we would see about it then. But my sister said something that really made sense...If he is frustrated and having trouble, why wait...when you could get some help for him and relieve his frustrations. She said many times parents know there is a problem and they wait...meantime, the child is losing confidence, being made fun of(in a school setting), and getting more behind and feeling terrible about it. Although JH is not really old enough to have those issues, I know he has been frustrated when we can't understand things. In church class no one can understand him...he says yes like *nah*...so people who are not around him much, thinks he is saying no...when he is saying yes. That would frustrate me, too!!! Mike and I talked and we decided to have him evaluated here in our town with a pediatric speech and development therapist.
The evaluation went great! We were happy to learn that his receptive speech(what he hears and understands) is above average...more like a 4 year old. So, there are no learning issues or other cognitive delays. That was really great to learn, because we had begun thinking maybe something is wrong for him to be that delayed. We knew he was super smart and understands everything we say, but I'm glad to hear from a professional that all is well. He qualifies for early intervention help for expressive speech. He scored really low on this part of the test. So, we will begin speech therapy later this week or next week.
I feel so bad for him! I hope this speech therapy will get him jump started and talking really soon!
I just wanted to update everyone on our home construction and decorating projects. Gracie's upstairs room is finished! It looks so great! I can't wait to show you pictures of before and after. We had new furniture delivered yesterday! The reason being that she has outgrown a full size bed! Not width(ha ha), but length...the girl is 5'9"!!! An inch taller than me! Abigail is getting her old furniture, which is in excellent condition. Gracie got a new dark wood and iron queen size bed and nightstand. She also got a cafe style table with 2 tan microsuede chairs. This is where she will do schoolwork, have a computer, play games with friends or sister,etc. Another fun thing we got her is a dark red round swivel chair with 3 big pillows. It is so comfy...I told her I will be hanging out up there with her a lot! I love the room. It is painted a light mocha color, with cream trim. The bathroom is a dark red with a slate looking tile floor. Her bedding is a dark chocolate brown with tan trim and tan fleur de lis...we found it at Target last fall. We still have to have a big slip covered cushion made for the window seat,a Roman shade made for the window(maybe something red and brown), a rug and shower curtain for her bathroom. Then we will begin hanging pictures...she wants some black and white posters framed in matte black frames on the walls by the window seat. We saw a ton of things at Kirklands that would look nice in there...we will have to go shopping for a few things.
Gracie has been gone for the last 8 days on her mission trip to West Virginia...she will be back tomorrow!!! No, she has not seen the finished room....or her furniture!!! I can't wait to see her face! It's going to be like Divine Design!
This weekend has been kinda stressful for me because I do not like chaos...and that is how part of my house looks and feels right now--chaotic. Painters come Monday morning to begin the painting project...this will involve removing bright colored flip flop wall paper from the small bathroom that will be for the little guy....remember we just had girls when we built this house! They will be painting it a dark red with a faux finish...kinda a marbly look. Then they will be painting his bedroom the color *denim*, which is a nice dark blue, but not navy. It will go nicely with this quilt. Also, Abigail's room will be painted aquarium to go with this bedding. Evie is moving to Gracie's old room which is already a nice light spring green, which matches her pink and green bedding and white furniture. We have beds taken apart, mattresses in the playroom, old quilts and comforters covering furniture...and well, everything looks turned upside down...and it is! I will be glad to have this done!
It will be so nice to have the little guy in a big boy bed and everybody's things moved into their new closets and all...all organized...everything in its place...I can't wait. In the meantime, I am trying to not think too much about it. If I think about it, I get a headache!
So, that's what has been going on with us!
We had the evaluation on Friday morning and it went well. At least as I expected.
Our little Jack Henry needs help with his speech. I had you going there for a minute, didn't I?
He grunts and groans a lot, but rarely says real words...except momma, dough-dough(daddy), Vivie(for Evie), A-A for Abigail and Wa-Wa for Gracie he says *No* pretty well and juice. He babbles a lot...like he is saying syllables and all...and long sentences, but we can not understand the poor little guy. He does a lot of motions and some sign language... He did surprise us the other day with *Daddy mow* when Mike was going to mow the grass. We all cheered. I think it scared him...he hasn't said much since. My sister who is a speech pathologists/therapists said that she thinks he is about one year behind developmentally in his speech. Yikes!
We knew he was struggling and a little behind, but we really thought it would get better on its own as time went by and if we needed it later, then we would see about it then. But my sister said something that really made sense...If he is frustrated and having trouble, why wait...when you could get some help for him and relieve his frustrations. She said many times parents know there is a problem and they wait...meantime, the child is losing confidence, being made fun of(in a school setting), and getting more behind and feeling terrible about it. Although JH is not really old enough to have those issues, I know he has been frustrated when we can't understand things. In church class no one can understand him...he says yes like *nah*...so people who are not around him much, thinks he is saying no...when he is saying yes. That would frustrate me, too!!! Mike and I talked and we decided to have him evaluated here in our town with a pediatric speech and development therapist.
The evaluation went great! We were happy to learn that his receptive speech(what he hears and understands) is above average...more like a 4 year old. So, there are no learning issues or other cognitive delays. That was really great to learn, because we had begun thinking maybe something is wrong for him to be that delayed. We knew he was super smart and understands everything we say, but I'm glad to hear from a professional that all is well. He qualifies for early intervention help for expressive speech. He scored really low on this part of the test. So, we will begin speech therapy later this week or next week.
I feel so bad for him! I hope this speech therapy will get him jump started and talking really soon!
I just wanted to update everyone on our home construction and decorating projects. Gracie's upstairs room is finished! It looks so great! I can't wait to show you pictures of before and after. We had new furniture delivered yesterday! The reason being that she has outgrown a full size bed! Not width(ha ha), but length...the girl is 5'9"!!! An inch taller than me! Abigail is getting her old furniture, which is in excellent condition. Gracie got a new dark wood and iron queen size bed and nightstand. She also got a cafe style table with 2 tan microsuede chairs. This is where she will do schoolwork, have a computer, play games with friends or sister,etc. Another fun thing we got her is a dark red round swivel chair with 3 big pillows. It is so comfy...I told her I will be hanging out up there with her a lot! I love the room. It is painted a light mocha color, with cream trim. The bathroom is a dark red with a slate looking tile floor. Her bedding is a dark chocolate brown with tan trim and tan fleur de lis...we found it at Target last fall. We still have to have a big slip covered cushion made for the window seat,a Roman shade made for the window(maybe something red and brown), a rug and shower curtain for her bathroom. Then we will begin hanging pictures...she wants some black and white posters framed in matte black frames on the walls by the window seat. We saw a ton of things at Kirklands that would look nice in there...we will have to go shopping for a few things.
Gracie has been gone for the last 8 days on her mission trip to West Virginia...she will be back tomorrow!!! No, she has not seen the finished room....or her furniture!!! I can't wait to see her face! It's going to be like Divine Design!
This weekend has been kinda stressful for me because I do not like chaos...and that is how part of my house looks and feels right now--chaotic. Painters come Monday morning to begin the painting project...this will involve removing bright colored flip flop wall paper from the small bathroom that will be for the little guy....remember we just had girls when we built this house! They will be painting it a dark red with a faux finish...kinda a marbly look. Then they will be painting his bedroom the color *denim*, which is a nice dark blue, but not navy. It will go nicely with this quilt. Also, Abigail's room will be painted aquarium to go with this bedding. Evie is moving to Gracie's old room which is already a nice light spring green, which matches her pink and green bedding and white furniture. We have beds taken apart, mattresses in the playroom, old quilts and comforters covering furniture...and well, everything looks turned upside down...and it is! I will be glad to have this done!
It will be so nice to have the little guy in a big boy bed and everybody's things moved into their new closets and all...all organized...everything in its place...I can't wait. In the meantime, I am trying to not think too much about it. If I think about it, I get a headache!
So, that's what has been going on with us!
I am a stay at home mother to 4. I am very blessed to have a godly husband who loves the Lord and his family. I welcome the days of much needed grace,the times of sweet victories,and the tears of trials,knowing it is all for God's glory. I want my lifesong to sing to Him,the author and finisher of my faith. Soli Deo Gloria--To the Glory of God alone.
16 Comments:
Oh Kim, my sister had to make the same decision with my nephew, and it has turned out really well. The frustration was drastically reduced on all sides. I pray that things will go so smoothly and you can see the blessing of this early intervention.
Well, you did have me going, but I seriously thought you were going to say something about your dog Molly, and a therapist! :vD
It is a great thing that Jack Henry can get started right away with speech therapy! I'm sure he'll take off once they get him going with what he needs. They'll make it lots of fun for him too!
I know what you mean about painting chaos. I just finished my kitchen and am glad it is no longer an obstacle course. What a nice homecoming surprise for Gracie that her room will be finished.
Sounds like you guys have been really busy! I bet your daughter is gonna love her room...I think I would love it!
I have heard that some of the geniuses of the world didn't talk until very late (I think I read somewhere that Einstein was 7?) :)hmmm...Anyway I am glad you are getting him some therapy...I am sure it will help the little guy! (Who is so cute, by the way!)
Hey, Kim,
I just wanted you to know that we've been there. Last fall, we had our son ( age 2 and 4 months) evaluated for many of the same reasons. His speech seemed to be in a holding pattern, going several months without improvement. He qualified for EI based on his articulation issues. Again, he is very bright in all other areas. Anyway, he has been in speech for 10 months and the change is incredible. This week I had 3 different people comment on how much he has improved. We understand him so much better and so does everyone else.
I just wanted to give you those words of encouragement. I tried to wait it out too, but eventually went that route and it was the best step I could have made.
I'm sure Jack Henry will be talking your ear off before you know it, my guy is!
I hope the therapy helps JH!! Poor guy!
I can't wait to see your before and after pictures...the room sounds great!
Kim,
Just wanted to echo the reassuring thoughts about the therapy. I am a speech pathologist too and it is amazing what early intervention therapy can do. To know that receptively he is doing great is huge! My daughter, 14 months, says two words and I am getting a bit worried myself. I think it's pretty ironic given what I have been trained to do. ;)
Keep us posted. Also, your furnishings and rooms all sound great!
When my oldest son was 18 months old and still not standing or walking we had him evaluated by a pediatric physical therapist. At the time, his gross motor skills placed him at the age level of a 10-11 month old. The physical therapy that he received in the following months was just the thing to "jump start" him.
While we felt that he would eventually walk on his own, we could see that he felt overwhelmed being around children his age who were walking. I've never regretted the time and energy we invested in treating his physical delays. Now, at age 5, he runs, jumps, and climbs like any other active little boy.
The advice that your sister gave you was very wise. Having been through something similar, I understand the myriad of emotions you must be feeling. I'll be praying for little Jack Henry. Please keep us updated on his progress.
Christian
You've got a lot going on! I'll bet you'll be amazed by Jack Henry's progress once he gets started. Good for you to take that step!
The painting projects sound great! I can't wait to pictures of the rooms when you post them!
To echo some others... My brother, Adam, hardly said a word until he was two. I was a couple of years older and had always been more verbal. My parents thought that something was wrong with Adam, that he was really slow or something. When he was just a little bit older (close to 3, he started speaking all of a sudden IN FULL SENTENCES. By the way, Adam is definitely the smarter one between the two of us. :) I am glad that you are going to get help for JH if that is what is best. Keep us posted on his progress!
Also, I love your bedding choices. I can't wait to see the finished product. Please post pics of Gracie's room too. It sounds so cute!
I worked in early intervention for a time and it is amazing what a difference therapy can make in development! He'll do great!
Love all the decorating! It makes you one step closer to your Lydia.
Another friend of ours just got her referral for their second daughter from China. She is special needs and has a severe burn on her head. She is gorgeous.
Check out www.oatsvallteam.blogspot.com
I think it's great that he will be getting speech therapy early! Sometimes things get better on their own, but sometimes they just need a little help. You will probably be amazed at how quickly things with his speech begin to improve with therapy!
I began to wonder about my youngest just because of the way she pronounced her words until very recently...my pediatrician told me when she was three just to keep tabs on for a few months to see if things improved but she didn't see a problem...and though her words still have what I call a slight "baby accent" even now at age 5, she has improved by leaps and bounds in the last half a year especially.
And I know what you mean about the chaos...good plan- just try not to think too much about it for now! :)
Blessings!
We learn so much from one another. I am eager to see the progress that Jack Henry will make through this therapy.
It's funny because I too immediately thought of Molly. Poor dog gets a bad rap, doesn't she?
I love all your decor choices. I definitely want to see pictures of the "after". I plan on painting Sam's room this week. Of course, I've had that same plan for several weeks :)
Blessings!
I hope the therapy goes well. We went through this with all three kids. In our case we decided against speech therapy because we discovered it is a common thing in dh's family. They went from saying very little to practically quoting Shakespear overnight! And they haven't stopped talking since! LOL There is a whole range of "normal" so don't feel bad for Jack Henry! He'll probably catch on in no time.
It all sounds sooo luscious! I love the pics of the quilt and the bedding...both are my kind of colors.
Good call on getting help for JH. Did I ever tell you I'm a bachelor's level Speech Therapist? I practiced in public school for almost seven years. Hope all goes well with it!
I can't wait to see the pics of everything once you are nice and tidy again! ; )
Hi Kim! It's been a while since I've checked in. I used to be a speech-therapist (before deciding to stay home with my children)...I really hope that JH enjoys and benefits from his ST! The therapist will make it fun for him! Can't wait to see your before/after pictures!
Kim~
I think it's a great idea for John Henry to be involved with speech theraphy!!
It won't be long until he's gabbin' away!
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